Growing the Oyster Aquaculture Industry in the Gulf of Mexico William C. Walton Auburn University School of Fisheries, Aquaculture & Aquatic Sciences Alabama Cooperative Extension System [email protected] Shellfish Culture in USA Oysters, clams, mussels – a success story for US aquaculture But in 2008, very limited off-bottom oyster culture in Southern US from North Carolina around to Texas In the Gul of Mexico, Two Means of Traditional Oyster Production ‘Wild’ public oyster Private ‘oyster beds’ reefs Both Rely upon Natural Set ‘Cultching’/shell planting is done to improve the habitat for oyster settlement to improve set On private beds, oyster seed may be moved to different areas Gulf of Mexico Traditional Oyster Industry In 2008, the U.S. eastern oyster industry (Crassostrea virginica) produced over 23 million pounds of oysters, valued at almost $82.5 million (NMFS). By volume, the Gulf of Mexico dominated the harvest, accounting for over 89% of the harvest By value, however, the Gulf of Mexico obtained 73% of the total dollar value of the US harvest (NMFS) This is Primarily Commodity Market Focused on the commodity, shucked product market High volume, low price Credit: Scott Mowbray Challenges to Tradition Concerns about natural set Variability in supply hurts industry Different opportunities for famers with branded oysters Use of Hatcheries in Region Two university oyster hatcheries in Gulf of Mexico Auburn University Louisiana State University Centers for research, demonstration and training Auburn University Shellfish Lab Two Hatchery ‘Products’ Singles for ‘off- Spat on Shell for bottom’ culture ‘on-bottom’ culture Off-Bottom Culture in Gulf of Mexico – First Attempts Attempted in Apalachicola, Florida, other parts of the Florida Panhandle and Bon Secour Bay, Alabama “Biological success, financial failure” – Chris Nelson, BSF Off-Bottom Culture in Gulf of Mexico – Reboot in 2009 What did we do? Researched cost-effective methods of producing oysters under local conditions with commercially available gear with emphasis on practical advice Trained potential oyster farmers in an oyster farm ‘park’ Collaborated with regulatory agencies and industry to simplify and reduce costs of permitting Communicated with restaurants and media about success of new farms and quality of oysters Off-Bottom Culture Typically relies on hatchery-reared seed Gear is used to protect oysters from predators, burial and other losses Requires $ investment Requires time Can be established in areas where oysters on the bottom don’t survive (high salinity, soupy bottom) Initial Research In Alabama, collaboratively tested 4 types of gear, of which 3 control fouling through air drying Australian long-lines Floating cages Floating bags Bottom cages Needed to produce oysters that at most needed a rinse Grow-Out Gear OysterGro™ Floating Bag BST™ LowPro™ Photos: Bill Walton, Courtney Coddington, & Julie Davis Air Drying Takes Oysters Fully Out of Water: Control Frequency and Duration of Low Tide Fernando DeCillis Importance of Quality This was obvious as we started oyster farms in the Gulf of Mexico Generic Gulf oysters have huge variability in quality Arguably increasingly important to oyster farming industry Timing: Different Market Live oysters served raw in the shell Wholesale price of $0.30-0.70 per oyster Branding Quantifying Quality Aspects of Quality Taste Smell Shell Thickness Shell Shape Shell Size Meat Condition, Plumpness Shell Cleanliness Food safety Consistency of Product in All of the Above www.kusshioysters.com Oyster ‘Cupping’ and ‘Fanning’ 0.4 SW/SH 1.0 SL/SH 0.25 SW/SH 0.5 SL/SH Effect of Gear Tested four different gear types at one site (Point aux Pins, Alabama) Response variables included: Shell metrics, dry shell weight, dry tissue weight, condition index, survival Photo: Bill Walton Grow-Out Gear OysterGro™ Floating Bag BST™ LowPro™ Photos: Bill Walton, Courtney Coddington, & Julie Davis Effects of Gear Type on Shell Height and Cup Effect of Gear on Shell Height 95 c 85 c b ±SEM) 75 a 65 Final Shell Height (mm Effect of Gear on Cup Shape ALS FB LP OG 0.38 b 0.36 ab ab 0.34 a 0.32 (±SEM) 0.3 0.28 0.26 Ratio of Width to Height Ratio of Width ALS FB LP OG Bottom Line? Gear affected oyster growth, survival and cup Choose your gear with this in mind Effect of Tumbling Tumbling in second year didn’t lead to changes in shape (Coddington-Ring, 2011) Follow Up Experiment: Monthly Tumbling from 3 months after spawn to 9 months Measured effects on survival, growth, shape and condition index Effect on Shell Metrics Ø Shell Metrics – Final Sample Date NT T 80 60 70 50 60 40 50 A B 40 30 A B 30 A B 20 20 Mean Size (mm)+-SE A B (g)+-SE Mean Weight 10 10 0 0 Height Length Width Weight Effect on Shell Shape Ø Shell Shape – Final Sample Date NT T 0.36 0.78 0.5 0.34 0.76 0.49 0.32 0.74 0.48 0.3 0.72 0.47 A B A B A A Cup (SW/SH) +- SE Fan (SL/SH) +- SE 0.28 0.7 Bulk (DSW/ SH) +- SE 0.46 0.26 0.68 0.45 Cup Fan Bulk Bottom Line? Tumbling, especially in the first year, positively affects cup shape and fan shape – but does impose a growth penalty Effect of Basket Orientation and Stocking Density (Davis, 2013) Adjustable Long-line System In-line arrangement Cross-line arrangement Schematics courtesy of BST Oyster Supply Pty, Australia Shell Quality: Shape CUP Shell Quality: Shape FAN Bottom Line? 1. For basket orientation, in-line orientation in our system grew faster, but were less cupped and fanned 1. No major differences between oysters in bays with 6 baskets versus 9 baskets cross- line. 2. For stocking density, oysters stocked at 75/basket were smaller BUT more cupped and fanned than oysters stocked at higher densities. Making Informed Decisions as Growers “Between calculated Farmers can make risk and reckless suite of decisions about culture methods decision-making lies that significantly the dividing line impact quality as well between profit and as yield (survival and loss.” growth), including: Gear type Charles Duhigg, Author of iEconomy Tumbling Stocking density Orientation of gear Etc. Current Research Methods to improve quality Reduce mud blister infestations and other bio-fouling Improve consistency of size and shape Manage effects of handling to improve product safety Future Research Directions Improving farm Focus on consistency management with Focus on measuring better technology success in terms of (Oyster Farm 2.0) profit Evaluating the importance of nursery experience on grow-out success Summer mortality issues Training Program Auburn University permitted a 60-acre oyster farming ‘park’ Zone for training potential oyster farmers Zone for trained oyster farmers to start their own 2-acre commercial farms Hands-On Training 16 farmers trained over two years Provided classes and hands-on instruction Each farmer chose a gear type and was given 20,000 oyster seed to raise Oyster Farming Park Collaboration Developed easier, less expensive permitting Governor’s Committee for Shellfish Aquaculture (based on Maryland legislation) Ongoing issues, where Auburn University continues to provide input and expertise Communication Educating chefs, buyers, and consumers about the new industry and the oysters Helping farmers develop ‘brands’ Encouraging regional cooperation (OysterSouth) Free (Good) Press Where Has This Gotten Us? In 2008, no farming in Gulf of Mexico In Alabama, now 13 farms Over this last year (2015), harvest was approximately 1,000,000 oysters Seed orders for farms in Alabama this year currently total approximately 4 million seed Five ‘Areas’ in Alabama Where Has This Gotten Us? In Louisiana, now 4 oyster farms In Mississippi, changing regulations and creating 1-3 oyster farm ‘zones’ In Florida, at least 12 farms now raising oysters Plenty of Challenges Prolonged closures (harmful algal blooms, rainfall) Threats to water quality Issues with lease for AU oyster farming park New hurdles in permitting Summer mortality Seed supply Looking Forward (Off-bottom) Hopefully on the verge of a vibrant, new environmentally- friendly industry in Alabama Jobs, traditions and the environment Conclusions Exciting growth of off-bottom oyster farming in the region Typically family farms Creating jobs, allowing people to make a living on the coast Potential for spat on shell in the region Auburn University will continue to provide: Science-based advice Demonstration of new techniques Training for individuals Questions .